Watching the world of east London politics

Lutfur and a lack of respect

Sometimes life as a journalist can be a bit surreal. As I was having lunch in a restaurant near Spitalfields Market last Sunday, a handwritten note on a paper napkin furtively winged its way to me.

“Rahman not at Tower Hill Remembrance Service, despite being expected by Kevan Collins!!” it said. I know who sent it; I won’t name them but it was a couple of well-known political activists.

That day’s edition of East End Life seemed to back up the note. While there was plenty of coverage of the various Remembrance services in the borough, there were no pictures of our new executive mayor.

The Tower Hill service is particularly special because it commemorates those who died in the Blitz of the East End.

I asked Tower Hamlets council’s press office for an explanation on Monday morning. Five full working days and several chasing emails and phone calls later, I still have had no reply. One council press officer told me my question was not “a priority”.

That press officer was, I’m told, acting on the orders of Takki Suliaman, the £100,000 a year head of communications who was apparently a bit of a figure of fun when he was a Labour councillor in Haringey a few years ago. He was appointed the town hall’s chief spin doctor in March after being recruited under Lutfur Rahman’s leadership by that notorious moonlighter, Lutfur Ali.

Since Lutfur Rahman became mayor, the council’s controversial press office has become a bit of a miserable place. Staff are going through a redundancy process and, quite frankly, some are dying to leave. However, two things are certain: Mr Sulaiman is certain to dump others to protect his six-figure job and East End Life will continue to be published.

In the meantime, Mr Sulaiman would do well to let the people who pay his exorbitant wages why the Mayor he serves was unable to attend one of the most important and symbolic events of the year.

Lutfur, who also did not wear a poppy at last month’s cabinet on November 11, came to office promising to unite communities and to respect the borough’s history. He may well have had a valid reason for his absence at Tower Hill, but silence doesn’t get him anywhere. Without Labour’s advisers there to help him, he’s making some silly mistakes.

I’ve written a bit about this in tomorrow’s Sunday Express.

UPDATE: Tuesday, November 30

The following was sent to me by a serving councillor who attended the Tower Hill event:

Lutfur Rahman had notified the organisers that he would be attending the main borough ceremony at Tower Hill, the memorial to the 42,000 merchant seamen who lost their lives in wars.

He was allocated seat B12, which is on the right hand side, front row. When he did not appear the seat was discreetly occupied.

There are a number of ceremonies in different parts of the borough including Bethnal Green Library, Poplar War Memorial, Tower Hamlets Cemetery and many more. According to lists from the Town Hall councillors attended all of these. Cllr Abbas was at Poplar War Memorial.

East End Life did not refer to the elected representatives because of “purdah” relating to the Spitalfields by election. It would be interesting to see who issues that particular decree.

Abdul Alim is obviously in dire need of some cultural education about what the East End went through during the Blitz – and apparently Mayor Rahman does too

To ignore the effect the Blitz had on the East End is to ignore one of the most famous episodes in this area’s history.

To ignore the people who died speaks volumes about this so-called leader’s real priorities.

Rahman should be absolutely ashamed of himself. To my knowledge, no Mayor of Tower Hamlets – no matter what their political persuasion – has ever missed attending the Formal Remembrance Service for the dead of the East End to my knowledge.

I note the former Mayor was there but since he is no longer the Mayor that’s rather besides the point!

Perhaps the waste of space which is Takki Suliaman could confirm whether or not the Leading Member of the Council has ever missed the formal Remembrance Service?

I’m no “poppy fascist”. At no point have I spoken about any need to wear a poppy.

All I’ve done is agree with Ted and underlined the huge disrespect that Mayor Rahman has shown to those people living in Tower Hamlets whose relatives lost their lives during the two world wars and subsequent conflicts.

There are very few acceptable excuses for Community Leaders not being present at such an important service.

Not being interested in people who are dead and do not have a vote is not one of them.

“All I’ve done is agree with Ted.” So what does Ted say? “Lutfur, who also did not wear a poppy at last month’s cabinet on November 11.” Maybe we should have poppy patrols in Tower Hamlets? What would be a fitting punishment for anyone who does not wear one? Deport them back to where they came from?

For an alternative to the red poppy and those who genuinly seek peace see the following:

Looks like the “well known political activists” have been rumbled! Both were at the Water Poet in Spitalfields for lunch it seems. Did you also have lunch with Ted? Wouldn’t it be fun if we could also undertake FOI’s against journalists!

Lutfur didn’t turn up to remembrance services when leader of the council either. He is happy to let others make gestures for east end heritage on his behalf, like Marc getting cash for Bancroft library, but totally uninterested in paying his own respects.

Lost for words but embarrassing is all I can say. Except that he may have been despairingly hoping to wear the ceremonial (ex-mayor’s) chain but was upset he’d look naked in Labour’s Eastend Lies homemade propaganda Pravda. Disgraced by recently damaging events Mayor Rahman must do two things to save face immediately: Issue a public apology and make sure he puts up another ad to replace the culturally deficient comms chief. The £200k a year C.E.O. Mr Kevan Collins must give an explanation too.

Come on Ted !!
enough already about your investigative journalism
To me it has a strong hint of speculating and pandering to the very people that we should be steering away from and you seem to be fueling fuel to the minority raciest in this society

Mate you need to get a life now and leave this alone with your constant speculations.

Why do you not do something that people care about instead of your little meetings with the unnamed council staff that give you all this so called information.

Why not go after all those who were the ones who started the rot in tower hamlets ask why a contract was awarded to the cleaning company for 12 years long after the person involved was not even returned to the seat back into the council.

Why not ask who is sleeping in who’s bed and also who scratches who’s back and why
also check out who is on the boards of housing association and ask why they can serve two masters!!

There is so much more to the East End and its residents so stop with the insults and speculation and start to do some real journalism I am certain you can manage some on your own———-
or will you still keep hanging around waiting for leads written on scraps of paper and moseying around on peoples face-book pages
hoping to speculate on a little morsel to turn into a non story!

Welcome back, Carole..I feared you’d been banned by party elders from commenting on this blog…

As you well know, we journalists rely on such scraps of paper and tip-offs about Facebook to expose malpractice. We then try to check out the titbits for facts. And I’m sure that’s what you do before spreading gossip you’ve heard about sleeping arrangements and other similar “insults and speculation”. You know my number if you want to provide hard facts.

To clarify for anybody else who is ignorant of the significance of Rahman’s non appearance at this event.

The failure of the Leader of the Council / Mayor to turn up to the Remembrance Day Service is the equivalent of the Prime Minister failing to turn up to the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday – for a service which remembers the allied and commonwealth war dead of all nationalities and religions.

It is observed by the Leaders of the Political Parties year in and year out without fail.

OH dear
“To clarify for anybody else who is ignorant!!!!!
of the significance of Rahman’s non appearance at this event.

mu-mm its still speculation perhaps when we find out where he was we will know and not speculate perhaps
that is more ignorant to assume me thinks>

“Welcome back, Carole..
I feared you’d been banned by party elders”

oh dear Ted I am just in hysterics here Me Banned I cannot type for laughing so much

My dear I have been away for 8 weeks on an humanitarian aid convoy to Gaza where the people are living in a open air prison camp being denied every basic right known to man so that why I have not popped in for a while.

As for tit bits I don’t use scraps of paper only Lion brand for me
But my dear your post really are getting quiet distasteful and your content is so biased ———- I really mean it when I say enough because there is more than enough trouble in the world than having people making assumptions
I know the paper you work for is dare i say suppressed from telling the whole truth
But this is suppose to be your blog with things you believe in

I do not know where Luther was or if he had his poppy on his coat and not his suit jacket but surely it is better to have the facts first then you can have the right story and not wind the elements up to reproduce misinformation

I can give you lots of Stories about Gaza if you would like that would be worth a very good story and it would all be Factual

I knew you’d enjoy that. But the last time you commented was in June, much more than eight weeks ago…

As I made clear in the post, I have asked his press officers several times for why he was not there. I tried Oli Rahman, who also did not know. In my experience, when there is a valid reason, I am briefed that that is the case. That did not happen. I forewarned the council’s press office on Friday that I would publish, but still nothing. Would you rather nothing was said?

And, yes, I very much believe that Remembrance Sunday should be honoured – that’s why I’ve raised this matter.

I remember the days when you used to shout at Lutfur in the council chamber…tell me, did you support Respect’s decision to back him?

Yes, but you know as well as I do that there were quite a few in Respect who were deeply opposed to the decision. I’m just intrigued to know whether you as someone who has stuck solidly to her principles were among those who (re)joined the very people you consistently opposed…?

Dear dear Teddy
people upset! please let me know who they are
still speculating dear me

I will paste the letter sent to the advertiser

You remember the paper when you only went after the bad guys!!

“Lutfur Rahman has been subject to a terrible witch-hunt”
so you need to thank yourself because I suppose that you were a part of our decision ”

The chair of Tower Hamlets Respect,
this morning spoke about the difficult decision Respect had had to make over the mayoral election. “We campaigned very hard for the referendum that Labour wanted to deny the people of Tower Hamlets and we were delighted when the people voted by a large majority for a directly elected mayor. This was never about setting something up that Respect could exploit, contrary to the smears put about by some in the Labour Party and others. It was about establishing a democratic and accountable system of governance in Tower Hamlets, unlike what has gone on here for so many years.

“As an electoral party, the members always want to contest elections wherever and whenever it is good for the people to do so. In this case, however, the overwhelming majority of Tower Hamlets Respect concluded we are dealing with unusual conditions.

Lutfur Rahman has been subject to a terrible witch-hunt and yet he has shown his mettle by coming through it and convincingly winning selection. More than that, he has spoken of his determination to fight the cuts on the basis of the broadest possible coalition.

“It’s for these two reasons we are going to support him. I would emphasise we are not supporting the Labour Party which has done so much damage in Tower Hamlets, we are supporting this particular candidate, just as we supported Ken Livingstone in the London mayoral election. But we give notice that we will be voting for Lutfur on the basis he leads the fight against the Condem cuts. If he fails in that duty to the people of Tower Hamlets,
—we will be his fiercest critics.”

Carole Swords, i thought you was always using the nickname ”concerned resident”? I know cos you used to always send out emails misinforming everyone, so what does that make you? Stop fooling yourself by staying in RESPECT will ya and get a day job!

Just to clarify Lutfur was wearing a poppy at the last Full council meeting, I saw on East End life and ive seen him wearing one at most meetings.

Lutfur will never have missed the rememberance Sunday ceremony, I remember seeing him last year. Rememeber it was Lutfur who found the funding for the Bethnal Green Tube Disaaster which honoured those that were in Killed, as well as funding he secured for Bancroft library.

It’s normal for the Leaders of ALL the political parties to be at one of the ceremonies.

Speaking personally, I’m just as interested to know where the Leaders of the other Parties were on Remembrance Sunday (apart from Peter Golds who could be clearly seen in one the photos taken at the Tower Hill Service)

This is how the various services were listed in the ELA

“REMEMBRANCE Sunday will be commemorated by ceremonies and two minutes silence at war memorials around the East End tomorrow.

The sacrifice of the armed forces and civilians since the First World War will be recalled at Trinity Gardens at Tower Hill from 10.30am.

Members of the Royal British Legion and others will be gathering at the War Memorial outside the library in Bethnal Green Gardens at 10.45am

MP Jim Fitzpatrick and his wife Sheila will march with members of the Royal British Legion from St Savior’s Hall, Arcadia Street, Poplar, at 10:30, to the War Memorial in St Leonard’s Road, where they will lay wreaths and hold the customary two minutes silence at 11am.

A presentation ahead of two minutes silence will also be given at a War Memorial in Cyprus Street, Bethnal Green, which featured on the BBC Inside Out programme this week. The programme told the story of how the memorial is looked after by residents Ron Sale and Dave Stanley.

A church service at St George in the East church, Cannon Street Road, Shadwell at 10.15am will be followed by wreath laying and two minutes silence at the War Memorial in the church grounds at 11am.

An Armistice service will also be held at the War Cenotaph inside Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park on Southern Grove in Mile End at 10.45am.

Respects will all be paid at Christ Church on Manchester Road, Isle of Dogs at 10.45am at St John church on Cambridge Heath Road at 10.45am.

It is 91 years since the Armistice brought the First World War to an end in 1918, when the guns fell silent at the 11 hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.”

The other significance of the memorial at Tower Hill is that it is to the many Syhleti sailors ” Lascars” who dies in the British Merchant Marine during the Second World War.

I remember one of them, Abdul, who had the first Asian shop in Brick Lane at 130 which he opened in 1948. In the seventies I was involved in organising the defence of Brick Lane against NF attacks and used to spend a lot of time in and out of shops and houses talking to people.

Abdul’s ship had been torpedoed by the Japanese off Java in the then Dutch East Indies in 1942 and he had ended up in a prison camp in Java.

He became friendly with some Australians and when they escaped they took him with them. They stole a fishing boat and sailed nearly to Darwin in the very north of Australia before they were picked up by an Australian warship.

After some time in hospital he was sent back to sea, all merchamt seamen were conscripted for the duration of the war, and was torpedoed again. He spent the rest of the war in various Japanese camps and described the brutal conditions.

The failure of Lutfur Rahman to honour his own war dead is the real disgrace here.

Shakil
Just to get the record straight!
I have never ever used a codename
I am quiet happy to let people know who I am and my opinions on what I say,
I do not sneak behind peoples backs with secrecy and do not make sly devious comments about anyone
I say it as it is always have and always Will my dear

Far greater shame than Mayor Rahman should be aportioned to successive Western governments since WW1 for failing to pay fitting tribute to Muslims who fought and died then like North Africans, Turks (under the Ottoman Empire) and even many Indian Muslims. At least Sarkozy in France did something in a Paris mosk. However, we in Europe a have a moral duty to acknowledge properly Muslim casualties (eg in Commonwealth nations) in both World Wars, who gave their lives for us in places like Britain.

That’s what the non-denominational services do at the Cenotaph and all other war memorials. Avoiding the use of religious places enables the services to be much more inclusive of all people and all faiths. Religious leaders from different faiths are frequently involved with the ceremonies.

They are very much about peace and unity.

How ironic that Mayor Rahman doesn’t “get” that aspect!

They are about also remembering the people. You’ll find that most allied countries typically give most emphasis to the soldiers who fought with them.

What ever made you think that the service of those who died who come from different heritages and religions is not recognised? The dead of all commonwealth countries were honoured. Do you know how many leading Muslims were at the cenotaph on 14th November?

As with the monument at Tower Hill which commemorates the merchant seamen there are memorials all over the battlefields of northern France and parts of Belgium which remember the war dead of the Indian Army which arrived in Europe and was instrumental in stopping the first German push in the autumn of 1914.

It is of course necessary to do a litle research like reading a history book or actually visiting some of the battle fields.

When I joined the British Army as a boy soldier in 1961 our instructors had fought with the troops of the then Indian Army in many campaigns and had nothing but the highest regard for them.

Also just for the record about five years ago myself and Dennis God rest him

We were at Chrisp Street market handing out leaflets against the dreaded housing transfers to the very unpopular Harca!

When up poops outside Percy Ingles trying not to be spotted was the Jim Fitzpatrick and his companion (lady) who I would say was extremely rude to both Dennis and Myself

Well I could not believe my eyes out popped a box of poppies with a collecting box a photographer came up took his photo then he put the things back in his bag and went to go
I approached him (just couldn’t resist) as we have known each other for many years back when my cousin was his inspector in the Fire brigade.

I had to tell him what a disaster it will be backing Poplar Harca and what impact it will have on the East End and why he felt handing every piece of land over to an unscrupulous landlord(I have the true facts that they are) what legacy would that leave the East End I told him this was a way the government and local council could socially cleanse areas (and it is occurring) we had words he said he had to go because he had a flight to catch he was of to the Caribbean I think?

Well of course I sent him off with a flea in his ear because he did not have an answer being the spineless puppet he has become

Well! what has this to do you ask with wearing a poppy

Well this was two whole weeks after the 11 November in fact it may even have been the beginning of December

I am just stating A fact
what a wonderful Labour party its no wonder we are now CON!DEM!MED to what we have now

The reality is our historians often fail to note Muslim sacrifices in wars because they are still often regarded as ‘collateral damage’ like in Iraq or Afghanistan, regardless of whether they are civilians or our allies.

UCMIU. Thank you for your comments. There isn’t a general recognition, certainly not in schools nor in the press, of Muslim contribution and sacrifices, given the numerical figures of casualties are in the millions. Muslim dignitaries always visit these remembrance occasions though Mayor Rahman is a novice exception. We have consistently failed to acknowlegde Muslim sacrifices even in our colonial expeditions of their roles in our armies. It’s hardly unsurprising we should give Muslim deaths in WW1&2 a high degree of recognition, even though their figures far surpass those of the Holocaust which however achieve constant media coverage because the cries are louder. There is a general vacuum in people’s knowledge of Muslim sacrifices, especially with couch potato politicians terming their involvement in British politics being somewhat ‘Islamist or entryist’, as if to say they played little role to save our lives in WW1 and WW2. Hardly any of us Brits know of Muslim sacrifices for us but we’re quick to recognise our Christian / European and American allies, as if the world map didn’t consist of Turks, Indians or North Africans, Balkans or Caucases etc.

#22. We don’t even admit liability for bombings civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan eg at wedding ceremonies, let alone rendition tortures. You’re living in Utopia. That country isn’t a city in the West I’m afraid. We’re used to counting ‘brown’ casualties as numbers, nothing more. Just follow the Wikileaks releases if you want specific examples of how we have historically hidden figures of ‘brown’ casualties. Like our allied airstrikes would keep a track of Muslim ‘collateral damage’ even if they consist of ‘friendly fires’. By design we have subjected military tactics in so many instances that ignore fundamental principles of rules of engagement in wars.

I certainly agree that recognition is not as good as it could be and could certainly be improved. However this Metro article would have been read by most people in London who journey by tube on 10th November – the day before Armistice Day.

Participating in memorial/remembrance services is one way in which that can be improved.

Another is through intelligent use of the press. It seems to me that secretary general Farooq Murad of the Muslim Council of Britain understands how to get the message across.

Thanks. Never met the guy but Mayor Rahman must be in a world of his own. For someone to convey such message to him, they must do better than Ted to get through to the council’s comms chief: the must be a member of IFC or Respect?!

Marcus Roberts? He has returned from the US where his activist efforts didn’t help Obama any. Remember Marcus Roberts is the local activist who reassured his Labour pals after the TH Mayoral result that the Gilligan and Geller ‘Islamic radicals now have control of Tower Hamlets’ headline is “our silver lining”.

Sorry, appreciate now that Ted (and “Fighting4Ed”) do not specify the activists’ political leanings so the napkin note could have been sent by well-known Conservative activists. Should we widen the scope, Ted?

Ted, can we have more of this please? Maybe a specific page of “sockpuppets” (does the term apply here) of IP addresses which post using multiple aliases?

I’m sick of people (on both sides of the divide) who claim to be different people by virtue of their moniker but clearly giving away the fact that they are in fact someone else by saying the same/similar things along with associated typos, grammartical errors and false assertions… And then use the multiple aliases to claim some kind of popular support for their position.

Although we must bear in mind that some people will be posting from places that will come up with one IP. E.g. at an Idea Store or in an office block…

For the record I’m not a sock puppet (ie I also only post using this username on this blog). I’m also not Cllr Peck, I’m not Julia Gregory and I forget who else I’ve been accused of being.

I’m an ordinary elector with absolutely no political affiliations, formal or otherwise, who’s very concerned about the way politicians behave in Tower Hamlets – and thinks it about time those who think like me said something!

Ted knows who I am and is perfectly happy for me to continue to use a username which is (obviously!) not my real name. I use an alias as an aid to focusing on the content of the comments rather than who is making them.

Armistice day is not just about the dead and those who served in WW1 and WWII. It’s also a chance to commemorate the service of the armed forces in the years since then and at the moment. That will include young men and women from this borough – of all races.

It does not celebrate war – it reminds us of what war actually does.

If these allegations are purely speculation on the back of a napkin then why did it take so long for the press office to come back?

I’ve worked in press and PR for a range of organisations, private and public, including (at times) local government. Ted being told that this story is not a priority is complete and utter rubbish – this sort of story would become an immediate priority (and headache)for the press office who would be working all the hours god sends to deal with the issue before it became a scandal hitting the Mail and Express (where the non-Muslim voters of Tower Hamlets will then see what sort of Mayor they’ve got).

It is only acceptable to miss a ceremony such as this if there is an absolute priority elsewhere – a family crisis or some political event elsewhere that takes priority. Even then somebody should be deputed to officially take the place of the Mayor. On a national level previous PMs have missed the Cenotaph service on occasion but usually when overseas on some vital economic/diplomatic mission. And the Foreign Secretary or Home Secretary will be formally deputed to lay a wreath for the PM. And the PM would attend a ceremony in the country he/she was visiting.

The non-answer from the press office worries me greatly because it’s obvious that they’re getting no answers from the Mayor’s office. I do pity the poor press officers who have to handle the fall-out – they’re being squeezed from the outside and not getting the support they need inside.

….for all the reasons outlined by “The EastEnders scriptwriters couldn’t make it up”:

– If the Mayor does not appreciate why this issue is important and requires a formal response then he’s very likely to lack judgement and quite possibly to be a fool.

– If Takki Suliaman does not understand why this issue is important and why it requires a formal response then he’s quite plainly incompetent.

My own view is that failure to respond to such an issue when questions are asked is tantamount to bringing this Council into disrepute, offending a great many people who do think it’s important and failing to be transparent and accountable for actions in the name of the people of Tower Hamlets.

Those who treat this matter as a non-issue and/or a very low priority are presumably poiticians and/or local government officers who think that people losing their lives – as servicemen or civilians – is a matter of absolutely no consequence to them.

I think most ordinary people living in Tower Hamlets would find that sort of perspective very worrying indeed.

You’re all silly. Come on, did you really want someone so selfish like this mayor to be there?! I mean we should all be glad the Remembrance service had peaceful people present only, no one disgraceful. Why even talk about this mayor here? Ted, please close this discussion, as this disrespectful mayor doesn’t even deserve to be present in such services. Agree?!

In reply to 35, the ip address is not unique to my phone Mr Jeory. It belongs to the network. Three network users posting here will therefore be accused of being Shahanara and of duplicity in using multiple aliases.

Amazing how both Lutfur Rahman and Abbas Uddin both filed to have spent nearly the same amount of money on their mayoral campaigns (over £11,000) yet the former won over twice as many votes than the latter. I guess each penny spent by Mayor Rahman was blessed twice by his sympathisers like the fully licensed brother Shirias of Cleafton and unlicensed IFC brothers!